Commissioners support disaster declaration for farmers

Published: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 10:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 10:03 p.m.

After hearing updated figures Tuesday that peg flood damage to local crops at $42.7 million, county commissioners asked County Attorney Russ Burrell to draw up a resolution backing a disaster declaration for Henderson County.

Mark Williams, executive director of Agribusiness Henderson County, said agricultural groups have firmed up their preliminary estimates since last week to include $9.5 million in losses to non-food crops such as sod fields and nurseries, as well as adding $2.8 million in long-term root damage to apple trees.

Combined with $30.36 million in estimated losses to food crops such as apples, berries and produce, Williams said Henderson County is now looking at roughly $42,778,650 in damages from this season's record rainfall.

Agricultural officials said it may be another year before the full extent of the damage is known, especially to tree and nursery crops that are grown on longer cycles.

While in town Monday for the Apple Festival, Gov. Pat McCrory said he will review a request from the State Emergency Board to recommend a disaster declaration for Henderson and four other mountain counties this week.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack must make that declaration, which triggers the opportunity for farmers to apply for low-interest emergency loans and other federal assistance.

Williams told commissioners Henderson County has been included in a disaster declaration affecting South Carolina's upstate. Tennessee's governor has also declared a flood disaster area affecting some adjoining North Carolina mountain counties.

"However, if we ever hope to see any funds for assistance through a Farm Bill, the more states that are involved, I think the better chance we would stand there," Williams said.

Chairman Charlie Messer said he and Vice Chairman Tommy Thompson heard a lot of complaints about flood damage throughout the state while attending a local government school in Greensboro last month.

"But it appears the state is kind of splitting up," Messer said. "The east is doing their east thing, the central is doing their central thing, the west is doing their west thing. It appears to me that we need to get united, as one state, to make that call to the federal government."

A resolution asking other counties to share similar information about flood-related damages would certainly help, Williams said, adding that such cooperation could also help on another pressing issue affecting farmers: labor shortages.

"I know that can cause dissention among different groups," he said. "But I can tell you right now that even with significantly reduced yields with our crops, I'm getting calls from one farmer after the other — our smallest farmers and our largest farmers — that we are hurting badly for labor."

Williams said he received an email today from a grower who had to leave $11,500 worth of berries in the field "simply because he did not have enough workers to harvest it." He added that two large producers have told him their parent companies have decided to expand operations in other states because of labor shortages here.

"Those are dollars that could and would be spent, and would prefer to be spent, right here in North Carolina and in Henderson County," Williams said. "Yet because of the uncertainty of labor, they feel the need to do their expansions in other states, which is very unfortunate."

County Cooperative Extension Director Marvin Owings Jr. presented commissioners with an updated crop loss assessment compiled by his office, Mills River and Henderson County agricultural advisory committees, AgribusinessHC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's local Farm Services Agency.

More than 6,600 acres of food crops have been destroyed by funguses, flooding and oversaturated soils, it says, including 5 percent of the county's 5,700 acres of apples, half of its field and sweet corn and 70 percent of its silage corn.

Commissioner Larry Young said the lack of silage corn for feeding livestock could provide a common cause to unite farmers across the state.

"Down east, the pork and beef farmers are struggling with the same problem," Young said. "That may be a way to get the eastern part of the state to join with us."

Regulation review

Commissioners also heard a presentation from Chairman Bert Lemkes of the Regulation Review Advisory Committee, who outlined a dozen recommendations the committee came up with to make the county more business-friendly.

Lemkes said the committee hoped to make the county's regulatory process more clear, affordable, simple and enforceable: clearer by having a searchable code online, affordable by lowering fees to make them compatible with surrounding counties, simple by having a "one-stop shop" that includes environmental health reviews, and enforceable by having "a clear path for appeals without repercussions."

In the 10 meetings the committee held, Lemkes said it "became obvious that good regulations attract business and increase the creation of employment. We are known to be a beautiful county and there are several businesses that have come to this area for that reason, and we've got to keep it that way."

Commissioner Grady Hawkins, who came up with the idea of having citizens review regulations for undue burdens on businesses, said the results were "certainly more than a snipe hunt." He lauded the committee's online public survey, saying the mark of a good organization is one that seeks regular feedback and does periodic reevaluations.

Hawkins said he hoped one thing staff would examine is how to avoid another "debacle" like the erosion damage caused by unfinished infrastructure at the idled Seven Falls subdivision in Etowah.

"We were not as prepared for that situation as we could've been," he said.

Messer said county staff will follow up on suggested text amendments, but encouraged more public input from committee members about how the county should follow up on other recommendations. He mentioned one that urged the county to review housing codes that restrict workforce housing options for seasonal farm workers.

In other business, commissioners endorsed the use of the Historic Courthouse steps for a tea party-sponsored event to honor four Americans killed in the attacks last year on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The Blue Ridge Tea Party, the Asheville Tea Party and motorcycle group Sons of Liberty Riders are sponsoring a "memorial ride" from Columbus to Hendersonville on Sept. 11, a year after U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other diplomats were killed by terrorists.

"We just believe that this event that occurred a year ago is still alive and well in the hearts and minds of a lot of folks," Dick Shaughnessy, a Rutherfordton-based leader of Sons of Liberty Riders, told commissioners. "We lost four very, very good Americans one year ago, and we want to keep that awareness alive."

<p>After hearing updated figures Tuesday that peg flood damage to local crops at $42.7 million, county commissioners asked County Attorney Russ Burrell to draw up a resolution backing a disaster declaration for Henderson County.</p><p>Mark Williams, executive director of Agribusiness Henderson County, said agricultural groups have firmed up their preliminary estimates since last week to include $9.5 million in losses to non-food crops such as sod fields and nurseries, as well as adding $2.8 million in long-term root damage to apple trees.</p><p>Combined with $30.36 million in estimated losses to food crops such as apples, berries and produce, Williams said Henderson County is now looking at roughly $42,778,650 in damages from this season's record rainfall.</p><p>Agricultural officials said it may be another year before the full extent of the damage is known, especially to tree and nursery crops that are grown on longer cycles. </p><p>While in town Monday for the Apple Festival, Gov. Pat McCrory said he will review a request from the State Emergency Board to recommend a disaster declaration for Henderson and four other mountain counties this week. </p><p>U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack must make that declaration, which triggers the opportunity for farmers to apply for low-interest emergency loans and other federal assistance. </p><p>Williams told commissioners Henderson County has been included in a disaster declaration affecting South Carolina's upstate. Tennessee's governor has also declared a flood disaster area affecting some adjoining North Carolina mountain counties.</p><p>"However, if we ever hope to see any funds for assistance through a Farm Bill, the more states that are involved, I think the better chance we would stand there," Williams said.</p><p>Chairman Charlie Messer said he and Vice Chairman Tommy Thompson heard a lot of complaints about flood damage throughout the state while attending a local government school in Greensboro last month. </p><p>"But it appears the state is kind of splitting up," Messer said. "The east is doing their east thing, the central is doing their central thing, the west is doing their west thing. It appears to me that we need to get united, as one state, to make that call to the federal government." </p><p>A resolution asking other counties to share similar information about flood-related damages would certainly help, Williams said, adding that such cooperation could also help on another pressing issue affecting farmers: labor shortages.</p><p>"I know that can cause dissention among different groups," he said. "But I can tell you right now that even with significantly reduced yields with our crops, I'm getting calls from one farmer after the other — our smallest farmers and our largest farmers — that we are hurting badly for labor."</p><p>Williams said he received an email today from a grower who had to leave $11,500 worth of berries in the field "simply because he did not have enough workers to harvest it." He added that two large producers have told him their parent companies have decided to expand operations in other states because of labor shortages here.</p><p>"Those are dollars that could and would be spent, and would prefer to be spent, right here in North Carolina and in Henderson County," Williams said. "Yet because of the uncertainty of labor, they feel the need to do their expansions in other states, which is very unfortunate."</p><p>County Cooperative Extension Director Marvin Owings Jr. presented commissioners with an updated crop loss assessment compiled by his office, Mills River and Henderson County agricultural advisory committees, AgribusinessHC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's local Farm Services Agency.</p><p>More than 6,600 acres of food crops have been destroyed by funguses, flooding and oversaturated soils, it says, including 5 percent of the county's 5,700 acres of apples, half of its field and sweet corn and 70 percent of its silage corn.</p><p>Commissioner Larry Young said the lack of silage corn for feeding livestock could provide a common cause to unite farmers across the state. </p><p>"Down east, the pork and beef farmers are struggling with the same problem," Young said. "That may be a way to get the eastern part of the state to join with us."</p><h3>Regulation review</h3>
<p>Commissioners also heard a presentation from Chairman Bert Lemkes of the Regulation Review Advisory Committee, who outlined a dozen recommendations the committee came up with to make the county more business-friendly.</p><p>Lemkes said the committee hoped to make the county's regulatory process more clear, affordable, simple and enforceable: clearer by having a searchable code online, affordable by lowering fees to make them compatible with surrounding counties, simple by having a "one-stop shop" that includes environmental health reviews, and enforceable by having "a clear path for appeals without repercussions."</p><p>In the 10 meetings the committee held, Lemkes said it "became obvious that good regulations attract business and increase the creation of employment. We are known to be a beautiful county and there are several businesses that have come to this area for that reason, and we've got to keep it that way."</p><p>Commissioner Grady Hawkins, who came up with the idea of having citizens review regulations for undue burdens on businesses, said the results were "certainly more than a snipe hunt." He lauded the committee's online public survey, saying the mark of a good organization is one that seeks regular feedback and does periodic reevaluations.</p><p>Hawkins said he hoped one thing staff would examine is how to avoid another "debacle" like the erosion damage caused by unfinished infrastructure at the idled Seven Falls subdivision in Etowah. </p><p>"We were not as prepared for that situation as we could've been," he said.</p><p>Messer said county staff will follow up on suggested text amendments, but encouraged more public input from committee members about how the county should follow up on other recommendations. He mentioned one that urged the county to review housing codes that restrict workforce housing options for seasonal farm workers. </p><p>In other business, commissioners endorsed the use of the Historic Courthouse steps for a tea party-sponsored event to honor four Americans killed in the attacks last year on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. </p><p>The Blue Ridge Tea Party, the Asheville Tea Party and motorcycle group Sons of Liberty Riders are sponsoring a "memorial ride" from Columbus to Hendersonville on Sept. 11, a year after U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other diplomats were killed by terrorists. </p><p>"We just believe that this event that occurred a year ago is still alive and well in the hearts and minds of a lot of folks," Dick Shaughnessy, a Rutherfordton-based leader of Sons of Liberty Riders, told commissioners. "We lost four very, very good Americans one year ago, and we want to keep that awareness alive."</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>